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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23044303">The Woods are Lovely, Dark and Deep</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArcaneNonsense/pseuds/ArcaneNonsense'>ArcaneNonsense</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Arcana (Visual Novel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Creampie, F/M, Female Apprentice, Goat!Lucio, The Trifecta, an unrealistic amount of come, and a soft ending, belly bulge, cock bulge, concerned muriel, enjoy, horny muriel, lucio makes an appearance in goat form, muriel has a large dick, soft muriel, sure hope birth control exists, the apprentice is smol, this is the filthiest and most self serving thing I wrote for the arcana, tummy bulge</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:55:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,583</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23044303</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArcaneNonsense/pseuds/ArcaneNonsense</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Muriel saves the apprentice from a suspicious ghostly goat in the forest and the apprentice shows her appreciation back at the cottage.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Apprentice/Muriel (The Arcana)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>143</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Woods are Lovely, Dark and Deep</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She wasn’t exactly <em>skipping</em> through the forest, but it was close. Asra had told her she could close the shop early and she had a plan to pick up a few spell ingredients and finally swing by Muriel’s. It’d been ages since she’d seen him last, and she’d been counting down the hours. Muriel had made her promise not to go through the forest after dark, and the shop had been busy until after sundown every night with customers needing readings, pastes, spells, herbs...</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Now that Asra was going on one of his trips, she’d been given freedom to close early and go and collect supplies they were running low on. If her path took her directly past a particular hut, inhabited by a certain man, well... stranger things had happened. <em>Hawthorne, hickory, rosemary, thyme, Spanish moss...</em> she ticked off items as she went, picking things and placing them in the basket she carried with her. Sure, some of these ingredients could be found in the markets easily enough but fresh was always best and market goods tended to have muddled auras.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>Looks like rain... hmm.</em> She didn’t remember seeing clouds on the horizon when she’d left. But, sure enough, the sky was steadily growing darker and the sunbeams reaching the forest floor fewer and farther between. She quickened her pace, feeling a prickle of unease sneak up her spine. She felt eyes on the back of her neck from time to time, but whenever she turned around, only trees stared back at her.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Be careful in the forest, there’s been rumours of something lurking.”</em> Asra had told her that before she left, chewing his lip and looking worried. <em>“Stay in the light.”</em> She was almost running now when a bolt of lightning streaked through the air, lighting the forest in a bright white light that was very, very different from the normal sunlight. The clap of thunder came a fraction of a moment later, shaking the trees. It had struck pretty close-</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> A flash of white snaked through the edge of her vision, almost as quick as the lightning had been. She spun on her heel, almost dropping her basket. A ghostly figure came out from behind one tree, eyes glowing red- <em>wait. Is that a goat?</em> Sure enough, a three-limbed goat was materializing on the path in front of her. She reached out with her magic, feeling the air, the aura- and drew back with a gasp. The ghost was more than just a ghost- it had an aura that was both human and very distinctly <em>not.</em> Malice rolled off its body in waves, lapping at her feet. She took a step back, hands raised in a defensive position.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Thief...”</em> the goat’s mouth did not move, but the voice that hissed through the trees and chilled the air around her was unmistakable its own. <em>“You stole what was mine... what was promised to me! I’ll take it back, you thieving-“</em> she reacted, her magic picking up a rock from the path and hurtling at the goat. It looked shocked for one second before the rock sailed through the translucent furry chest without any effect, thudding on the path behind it. The goat’s blood red eyes shot from her to the rock, and back to her. A beastly grin spread across its face, and it bared a claw that she sensed would be able to grab her with no problems at all. It shifted on its haunches and started forward. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> She turned and ran. She heard snapping twigs behind her as she sprinted up the path, felt the burning red eyes on the back of her neck. She reached out, lifting branches and rocks and anything she could get her magic around, sending them flying behind her as she stumbled through the darkened forest. The goat was fast for only having three limbs. It moved like liquid, and she didn’t dare look behind her and risk falling. Her heart pounded in her ears as she sent bursts of hurried magic out behind her, hoping they’d hit their mark. She couldn’t cast anything complicated while trying not to trip and fall. Her chest burned, her breath coming in gasps. She didn’t know where in the forest she was, anymore- it was dark and hard to see. Things were not looking good.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Off to her left, a piercing howl tore through her panic. Could it be- she turned, ready to face the goat and prepare a last-ditch spell; it would be more complicated, but if it missed there wouldn’t be time to run again. The goat was only a half dozen yards away, closing in fast- and then a blur of black fur launched out of the woods and sent the goat stumbling backwards.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Innana!” The cry left her lips as she stumbled backwards, hands still working the spell. The wolf stood between her and the ghost, lips curled back over her sharp teeth. She growled low in her chest, and the goat hesitated- that was all the time she needed. She let off the spell, a bolt of light that struck the ghost in the middle of its chest. It howled in pain, and the acrid smell of burning hair filled her nose. It stumbled backwards, giving her one last deathly glare before melting into the shadows.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Innana-“ a familiar voice broke through the dissipating gloom as a large figure emerged onto the path. “Oh- oh my god,-“ green eyes widened in shock and worry as Muriel straightened up, hand reaching for Innana falling lumpy to his side. “Are you ok? What are you doing here...?” He took two giant strides towards her, large calloused hands cupping her face softly as he turned her head, inspecting her for injuries.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I was collecting- ah!” She winced as she felt a sharp pain in her foot, stinging sharply now that the adrenaline wore off. “-collecting supplies and coming to see you. I’m fine- it’s just a scratch.” She said as he bent down, trying to get a better look. She picked up her foot and saw that a sharp rock had pierced through the sole of her boot, and blood was slowly oozing out of the cut it had left on the ball of her foot. “I’ve had worse.” She glanced at the wolf that was watching her with head cocked. “I could have had much worse if not for Innana here.” She reached out and the wolf took a couple steps toward her, allowing her to scratch between the wolf’s ears gratefully. “What was that, anyway?” She peered around Muriel’s shoulder at the space where the goat had vanished.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Nothing good. I told you to stay out of the woods at dark.” He frowned. “You need help.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Muriel I’ll be fine-“ he ignored her, picking her up off her feet and into his arms like she weighed almost nothing. “...okay.” She held on to her basket with one hand, using the other to wrap around his massive upper arm and steady herself. Innana trotted a few steps behind them, watching her with her intelligent eyes. Now that the danger had passed, she could feel the pain in her foot radiating up her leg. She wasn’t good at healing- not like Asra. She needed to clean the wound before even trying to pull it together- and the last attack on the goat left her feeling extra drained.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “You need help.” Muriel muttered, pushing open the door to his hut and gently setting her down reluctantly on top of his table. He turned to the fireplace, with coals barely glowing. He dipped a cloth in the cauldron of water always dangling over the fire. He shuffled over, then held out the cloth to her. “Here. I don’t think I should do it- Asra probably taught you too.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I trust you to do it.” She tugged off her ruined boot, tossing it to the side and wincing. “You’ll do a better job than me.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I don’t want to hurt you...” his brows knitted together and he frowned.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “You won’t.” She gave him a soft smile, stretching out her foot. “Please?” He gingerly took her whole foot in one massive hand that easily dwarfed her. He sat down on a stool and squinted, hesitantly inspecting the wound.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Are you... are you sure?” He looked up at her on the table, eyes soft and full of concern. She reached for his other hand, which he gently gave her, and pressed a soft kiss to his knuckles. He flushed, and nodded. “Ok... just let me know if it hurts-“ his massive hands moved gently, deftly, cleaning away the clotting blood and dabbing around the edge of the wound. It stung, as all wounds were bound to, but she made sure to keep her face level as to not scare him. Every few seconds his eyes would dart up to hers, constantly checking in on her. He was so scared of hurting her, just as he had always been.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I think I got all of it.” Muriel finally said, gently letting go of her foot. “You’ll want Asra to check it, I don’t want it to get worse because of me if I missed something.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “It already feels better, love. Thank you.” She scooted forward, preparing to slide off the table. A firm hand stopped her, and Muriel shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “You shouldn’t put weight on it. And it’s dark out now- I won’t have you walking home like this. You need food- I’ve got some eggs, but ah, nothing fancier...” he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “It’s perfect.” She couldn’t reach his mouth, but placed another kiss on his fingers. “Thank you, Muriel.” An idea sparked in her brain. “And who said I had any intention of leaving?” Easy to blush as always, even the tips of his ears turned pink. “The night is still young-“ she watched with growing amusement as he hurriedly turned around, grabbing a poker and stoking the fire. He said nothing as he cracked eggs into a pan, and turned back towards her, still blushing, with a plate of eggs after a few minutes.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Will you eat?” She asked, frowning, as she took a few bites.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Later.” He shrugged. “You eat now.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I’m not eating if you don’t.” She pouted. Muriel frowned, wrestling back and forth with something in his head. Then he sighed. She won. And they sat for a few moments in silence, both chewing and avoiding eye contact. She was muscling up the willpower, the bravery, to go after what she wanted. “Muriel-“</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Hmm?” He glanced at her, still flushed. “Is everything ok?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Yes, yes- well.” She chewed on her lower lip, frowning. Muriel leaned down, trying to get a better look.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “What is it- are you hurt? Is your foot bleeding again? What do you need?” The words spilled out of his mouth as he gently turned her head from side to side, a finger propping up her chin.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I need-“ a burst of courage. She leaned forward, upward, connecting her lips with his. He froze for a moment in shock, then immediately melted. He returned her kiss gingerly at first, then hungrily. Her hands fastened themselves in his hair as his hand pressed into the small of her back, pushing her into him. <em>I need you.</em> The words didn’t come out of her mouth, but from the way his mouth moved against hers, it seemed like he understood.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Leaving his hair, her hands travelled down, down his neck and across his broad, rippling shoulder muscles. She came up for air, then immediately resumed laying kisses down his neck as she gently worked the furs off his shoulders. His bare chest heaved with each heated breath, and when she made eye contact with him, his eyes burned with shocking hunger. His hands hovered over her shoulders, massive fingers too afraid to accidentally rip the delicate clothes off her body. She gave him a reassuring smile, then shrugged off her outer jacket and began to unbutton the front of her shirt.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> There was a war going in Muriel’s mind- she could see it in his eyes. He was torn, as he always was, between what they both wanted and his fear of hurting her, breaking whatever was between them. She hated his torment, his fear- she wanted nothing more than to reassure him, to let him know she would be alright. He hesitated, pulling back slightly. His brows knitted together, almost appearing as one.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “You won’t hurt me, Muriel.” She murmured, hands abandoning her buttons and reaching to grab his, squeezing them as best she could. “I want you- I trust you- but if you don’t want this...”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “No- I-“ he closed his eyes, shaking his head. “Promise- promise you’ll stop me before I hurt you?” When he opened his eyes again, she bit back a gasp. They were wild, hungry, almost feral- the suppressed emotions of years spilling over. She inhaled sharply, then launched herself into his arms.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> She was utterly dwarfed by him, each rippling upper arm easily larger than her whole head. Buttons popped and fell as her shirt was tugged off, leaving her top bare. “Oh god, Muriel-“ he kissed her hungrily, tongue exploring the inside of her mouth as she moaned around it. Her legs wrapped around his waist, as thick as a tree trunk. Her skirt rode up, bunching up over her thighs as she clung on to the man who pressed her bare skin into his own with the hunger of a starving man. Between her legs, wrapped around him, she could feel his excitement growing.She rotated her hips slightly, grinding forward and pressing the front of her abdomen to his.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Fuck-“ Muriel groaned, hands shakily gripping her sides and shoving her whole torso into him. She clung to him for dear life, biting hickeys into the scarred skin on his chest. Her hands worked down, fumbling with the button of his pants as a shudder shook his whole body. She paused for a moment, but he let out another groan and gripped her tighter. She loosened the button, finally, and his pants fell to his knees. He hadn’t been wearing anything under them, and immediately his cock sprung free and erect into the open air.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> She couldn’t hold back the gasp as she rocked forward onto it, eyeing its shocking size with apprehension and delight. Muriel’s hand grabbed the fabric of her skirt, and with one sharp ripping noise the fabric gave and fell to the floor in shreds. Now the only thing between her and his very large, very excited erection was her thin pair of underwear.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Sighing, breathing deeply as she took in great lungfuls of air, she leaned back. Muriel’s eyes met her own, sweat beading his brow and flush running wild in his cheeks. He was making small noises, almost- <em>whimpers</em> perhaps, with every breath he took and every press of his hand on her back, pushing her towards him. She braced herself with one palm on his chest, pressed against his heaving abdominals. She fiddled with the waistband of her underwear, trying to wiggle them free- all Muriel had to do was hook his thumb in them, and they ripped like they were made of paper.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Still held to him, braced on his firm forearm, she gently scooted back towards the table, pulling herself until she was perched on the edge, on top of her discarded jacket. Muriel followed her movement willingly, eyes darting between her face and the exposed skin that was very, very close to his erect cock which was practically twitching with need. Manoeuvring herself so she was supported by the table and still attached to Muriel, she took a couple deep breaths. Slowly, she lined herself up, and began to take him within her.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> He groaned loudly as he began to slip inside, her pussy was as wet as it could possibly be. Still, he was by far the biggest she’d seen, and she was... well, she was petite. She gasped as she felt the head slip in, fingers digging into his sides. Her cry seemed to shake Muriel out of his hunger, and he frowned, almost pulling away.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Are you ok? Did I- did I hurt you?” He stumbled, looking from their joined bodies to her face and back again, nervously.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “No- no-“ she breathed out, feeling herself stretch to try and accommodate him, “no, you didn’t hurt me, not in a way I don’t like-“</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “We can stop, oh gosh, I’m so sorry-“ He was starting to panic, and she knew she needed to reassure him.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Muriel, shh. It’s ok. I’m ok. It feels good. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.” She trailed her fingers along his forearms, nails barely scraping the skin. He shuddered.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I don’t want to lose control- what if I hurt you?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I trust that you won’t.” She gave him a small smile, wiggling and pushing herself a little farther down on him. “Do you trust me?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Yes.” It was said without hesitation.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Then let go.” She took a deep breath, then pulled hard. Stars burst in front of her eyes as she slammed down onto him, taking him as deep as she thought she could go. Her fingers gouged into his sides, but he didn’t notice- his eyes had closed as he gripped one of her legs in each of his hands, looking completely lost in the sensations.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Her own thoughts came jumbled as he started to move, thrusting slowly into her. She moaned loudly, feeling every inch of him moving inside her. She felt full- painfully so- but as he moved inside her with a grunt she loved every ounce of it. Pleasure and pain mixed beautifully as she let him have his way, thrusting slowly at first, then faster. She looked down and her eyes widened as she saw a distinct outline of his cock, moving back and forth beneath her abdomen. He was so large he created a bulge, shifting and changing as he thrust deeper. “Muriel-“ she gasped, before crying out as he thrusted deeper. She felt pressure beginning to pool, nerve endings afire.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Muriel’s thrusts were becoming deeper, faster, more erratic- he was losing himself in it. She held on as best she could, allowing her body to shake and move with his. There was a fire in her stomach, the burn as Muriel’s cock reached points that had never, could never have been reached before. Her body shook in tune with his, connected at that pivotal point. As he moved, she moved, feeling him explore her as she clung to him. Muriel’s eyes widened as he looked down at her, at the bulge of his dick inside her, reaching hesitantly as if to touch it.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Fuck-“ she moaned, grabbing his hand and placing it atop the swell in her abdomen. He gasped, almost drawing back as he looked into her pleasure-hazed eyes, searching for any indication of pain. Seeing none, he allowed her hand to press down on the bulge. “-oh, Muriel-“ she gasped as he added pressure, sending her nerve endings into overdrive. He squeezed, feeling every inch of him inside of her, massaging both of them together. “Muriel, I’m going to-“ she cried out as he roars her name, meeting her own cry of his own. He comes hard, more cum thank she can contain. It drips out of her before he even starts to pull out.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> They’re gasping in unison, sweat dripping from both of their bodies. She tried to find her tongue, but she could only stare at the bulge in her belly and into his flushed face.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Oh- I’m sorry-“ Muriel stuttered, supporting her back as he set her back on the table and pulled out. Excess cum splattered to the floor, and his blush deepened.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “You have nothing to be sorry for, love.” She cupped his face gently with one trembling hand.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Thank you... er, I hope you’re ok?” He scratched the back of his neck, shy again.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “It was wonderful, Muriel.” She sat up as far as she could in order to place a quick kiss on his lips. “I loved every moment.” She glanced down at her belly, still swollen and slowly leaking cum. “I hope you did too.” She glanced around at the remnants of her clothes, smiling. She scooted forward, towards the edge of the table, intending to hop down. “Ooh-“ everything was <em>very</em> tender. Even the smallest movement caused her to ache as if he was still buried deep inside her.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Let me.” Muriel swiftly lifted her up, cradling her in his arms once more. She purred happily, caressing his bicep with one hand as he carried her towards his bed in the corner. He set her down gently, her tired and sore body relaxing as he tugged the soft sheets and woollen quilt over her. He turned to go- but she caught his hand with one of her own.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Stay?” She asked, giving him her best impression of Inanna's puppy-dog eyes. He melted. He climbed into bed behind her, tugging her into his bare chest. They were both a mess, but she happily wriggled backwards, tucking herself into his embrace. They fit together, like two puzzle pieces. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> As she drifted off, she could have sworn she heard Muriel whisper a soft “<em>I love you.”</em></span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I love you too.” She replied quietly, slipping into a deep sleep.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
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